The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said that the commission cannot guarantee the absence of vote-buying during the June 18 Ekiti governorship election.
Festus Okoye, the INEC national commissioner, disclosed this to Channels TV on Friday, June 17, 2022.
Okoye explained that INEC had already partnered with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to tackle voter inducement.
He added that INEC had trained ad hoc staff who would assist the electoral body on the best way to position the voting cubicles to guarantee and maintain the security of the votes.
“INEC as a commission cannot guarantee that there won’t be any vote-buying in this election.
“We have also told them (ad hoc staff) to advise the voters when they come to vote not to enter the voting compartment with any electronic gadgets that can take photographs.
“By so doing, we believe we can guarantee at least the secrecy of the vote, not that people will vote, snap them when they have voted, and show somebody else.
“We have also held a series of meetings with the ICPC, EFCC, and other security agencies who would have some of their plainclothes officers at some of the polling units by making sure no one comes to the place and corrupts the process.”
According to Okoye, 988,923 are expected to vote in Saturday’s governorship poll in the 16 LGAs and 177 registration areas.
The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are the leading contenders in Saturday’s election.
